


Soldier Enhancement Program: Subjects 76 and 24

by ConfusedUnit



Series: The Other Side [4]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: M/M, SEP era, but then not doing that, thinking you're going to die, two views of the same senario
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-06
Updated: 2018-04-14
Packaged: 2019-04-19 08:53:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,347
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14233731
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ConfusedUnit/pseuds/ConfusedUnit
Summary: Jack Morrison joins the military knowing he's going to die. He finishes basic training hoping for it.But he doesn't expect it to come for him so soon.Gabriel Reyes joins the military to protect the people he cares for. He joins an experimental program dreaming about it.He's never felt so helpless.Where one feels expendable, the other sees a victim. Where one sees bravery, the other feels a coward.Welcome to the SEP.





	1. Subject 76

**Author's Note:**

> This is another part of the universe I have created for The Other Side Looks The GD Same (or TOSLTGDS, for short). It can be read as a standalone, but it helps provide context for the fic listed above.  
> Please enjoy.

Jack joins when he's young, straight out of basic training. He knows why they're offering him the chance. He's a mediocre soldier at best and they're a dime a dozen, traul any college campus and they can get someone to replace him. He won't be missed. When they ask him, he signs the paperwork before they even start talking.

He's pretty sure they're happy when he leaves. He knows they can't stand his dead eyes.

-

He fills out all the paperwork they ask him to, once he gets there. Some of then are standard: where was he born, what was his home life like, who is his next of kin. He doesn't expect the ones he gets as they progress: would he feel more comfortable rooming with men, women, or neither? Did he feel safe in his last post? What are the qualities he looks for in a friend?

He gets two pages into a packet that seems to be about current and former relationship history before he finally asks what's going on. Last he checked he joined a secret military experiment, not a psychological one.

They tell him that they need to cover all factors for their project, to determine any concerns. He takes them at face value. He doesn't really care, either way. He signs all the paperwork they give him, and he walks out the door.

-

Those motherfuckers.

He's been in classes for days, and his bunkmate obviously hates him. Why the hell did they put the two of them together?

He knows why on his end, at least. Because Gabriel Reyes is beautiful, one of the most handsome men he's ever had the privilege to meet. He's everything Jack's ever dreamed of.

He just wishes the guy would stop looking at him with so much anger and disgust.

He shakes his head, grabbing a book before heading out of his room. If Gabriel wants to hate him, fine. He'll just avoid him. Might as well keep a senior member of the SEP happy for the day.

He leaves the room before Gabriel wakes, and only returns after he's fallen asleep. He eats when Gabriel isn't there, avoids the hallways the man seems to prefer.

He doesn't expect to last long in the program anyway.

-

He's going to die here.

He knew the program was dangerous, but he never knew how much. But when he was getting his first set of shots, he saw a glimpse of his paperwork. #76, it had said.

But there couldn't be more than 25 soldiers on base. Had that many died? No wonder they were getting people like him. They were desperate.

He doesn't cry out in pain, or writhe in the hospital bed like he hears the others do. He stays still, staring up at the ceiling, letting the pain run through him.

For a moment, he thinks he feels something. But it's been too long for him to recognise the emotion, and it flees before he can try.

-

Gabriel's been nicer. Sort of.

He's been helping Jack recover, at the very least. Making sure he eats. Helping him move around the room.

But the dead look in his eyes is one Jack is intimately familiar with. How many roommates has he had to watch die? To still give him new ones...isn't that cruel?

As soon as Jack is situated and recovering, Gabriel leaves. He understands. They aren't friends. Gabriel's just doing what's required.

Jack gives him his space, again.

-

He writes down everything he feels after the injections. Maybe that will help them not kill any more soldiers.

The eldest group of soldiers, Gabriel among their paltry sum, don't talk to the younger. So the ones that came after them do. And the picture that they paint is a nightmare.

By the time you feel sick, they say, you're already dying. There's nothing the doctors can do, they add, so don't bother going to the medics for help. It's just a waste of supplies.

He doesn't write that part down. He sticks to clinical information only. He figures that's for the best.

-

They have three weeks between sets of shots. They're given two at a time.

After the first two, there were three deaths. After the third and fourth, two more were lost.

Only the new recruits are getting the shots. There's something wrong with the fifth and sixth, rumor says, and they don't want to move further in the shots until the figure out the cause.

Ah, he thinks, now it makes sense. They're testing on more, faster, to try to locate the cause of death so they can preserve their actually skilled soldiers. Of course.

A week after the fourth shot, he feels ill. The pain hasn't receded as much as he expected, and his body feels...wrong.

He writes all of that down, a strange calm flowing over him. Maybe, if he's lucky, what they find from him can save people's lives. Can save Gabriel's life.

That would be worth it, to him.

-

It's three days to the fifth and sixth shots when they finally have a fight. Gabriel won't stop pushing, trying to get Jack to tell him anything about himself.

Jack finally snaps. "Back off!"

"What's your problem?"

"Mine? You're the one who's been being a prick!"

Gabtiel growls. "You're avoiding me!"

"Yeah, because you seem miserable enough without having to deal with the guy you obviously hate!"

"What the fuck are you-"

"Besides, the next set is the one that kills everyone, right? A 99 percent kill rate, isn't it? So what the fuck are you trying to get close to me for?" He feels his blood boiling under his skin, and it doesn't help the ill feeling he's had for weeks now. "Why bother now if I'm just gonna die anyway?"

He snarls. "How can you say that so fucking matter of fact? How can you be resigned to it??"

"Because I didn't expect to survive, Reyes!" He shouts, puncuating his words with a fist against the wall. "I never did! So quit trying to get close, and save yourself the trouble of having to remember a useless guinea pig!"

Gabriel stares at him, a mix of anger and horror on his face.

Jack roughly sits down on his bed, slumping over on his side and looking away. "...Just...just go."

There's quiet for a long while, before heavy footsteps stomp out of the room. The door slams behind them.

He doesn't see Gabriel again until after the shots. He wakes up in pain, crying out as he tries to figure out which way is up. He feels gentle hands on his arms, and hears the soft murmur of Spanish.

He drifts back to sleep.

-

Today is the day.

He can tell. The pain hasn't gotten better, it's just gotten worse. He can barely eat. Five others have already died from this set alone.

Gabriel had looked at him from the door earlier, concern in his eyes. Jack had told him to go eat with his friends. He'd even smiled and told him he was fine, slumping once the man had left.

He feels that's the kindest thing he could have done. He doesn't need to watch Jack die. He's suffered enough.

He writes until it hurts too much to do so, panic finally rising. He's going to die. He's going to die, in pain and alone, and there's nothing that he can do.

He throws himself off the bed, barely containing a scream as he hits the ground. He crawls desperately to the bathroom. He's too hot, and as soon as he collapses on the tile floor he cries out in relief. But the feeling quickly fades, the tile warming under his skin.

He doesn't know how long he lies there, body losing feeling. He can't move. He can't talk. He can barely even breathe. He slowly blinks away tears, hoping that he'll at least pass out before his body suffocates him.

The door to their shared space slams open. "Jack!"

Shit. Why is he back? If he's so concerned...someone else must have died. Goddamnit.

He hears footsteps rush into their shared bedroom, before a keening noise echoes from it. "Jack!!"

He must have found the book, Jack decides. At least that will help...

"Jack, please- fuck- please, where are you?"

He wishes he could respond. He's afraid.

The footsteps leading into the room startle him, but he can't flinch.

"Jack!" Gabriel collapses next to him. "Please, please please-" He lets out a breath when he feels Jack's pulse. "Dios mio, Jack, can you hear me?"

He abrubtly realizes that Gabriel's never called him 'Jack' before.

"Jack- okay, fuck, he mentioned this- blink twice if you can hear me."

A pause.

"Thank fuck- Can you move? Blink three times for no."

A pause.

"Okay, I'm going to pick you up- I know, it's going to hurt, but you're dying Jack. I have to take you to the doctor for them to help you." He quickly, but as gently as possible, picks him up. "I know- hang on, okay? I need you to hang on."

A pause.

"...Jack?"

-

Jack wakes up in the med bay, screaming.

Hands hold him down, and he hears a soft voice speaking to him. He quiets, slowly opening his eyes.

Gabriel looks back at him, breathing rough. "Jack. You back?"

"Gabriel." His voice cracks, and he flinches. "Where..."

"Medbay. Fuck, Jack...you almost didn't make it."

He feels like he's made of mud. "...What?"

"Do you remember where I found you?"

"...Bathroom."

"Right. You were dying. I got you here just in time." He moves his hands down to hold Jack's. "Why didn't you tell me? I read your book, Jack. Why did you hide it?"

"The...recruits after you. They said...once you're sick, it's already...too late." He wheezes. "Said seeing the medics...was a waste of supplies."

"That's what we heard. Fuck...so many people died because they didn't know to get help..." He gently cups Jack's face. "...You're one of three that made it, this round."

His eyes widen. "Everyone else...is dead...?"

"Who you came in with? ...Yeah."

He's quiet, staring off.

"...Get some more rest, okay?"

"You'll come back...?"

"Of course, Jackie. I'll come back."

-

Three days later, Jack's shaking again.

Gabriel climbs into his cot, pulling him into his arms. "Hey, it's okay. They're getting you through it. I know you're cold, but I've got you. Your nerves are rewiring themselves. I went through this too. The fact that you're feeling this is a good sign. I know that's hard to believe, but..."

Jack tries to rest against him. "...did I ever tell you about my family?" His voice is strained.

"...No, Jack." He runs his hands through Jack's hair. "You haven't. What about your family?"

"Mom joined the service at the beginning of the Crisis."

"So, you joined to work alongside her?"

He shakes his head. "She was killed."

"Oh, Jack..."

"Wanted to make up for what was lost. Thought maybe...I could do what she had wanted to."

"What about your father?"

"Helped shelter two scared omnic runaways. Neighbors called him a traitor and set the barn on fire. None of them survived."

"Jack..."

"I...I'm scared, Reyes." His trembling picks up. "...Will I see them again?"

"Jack-" Gabriel holds him close. "You will, I promise you will. But not now. Not yet. You- you can't."

"Reyes..."

"You can't!" His voice cracks, as he presses his face to Jack's hair. "You can't..."

"You don't even know me..." A rough blow, but Jack doesn't mean it to be.

"You wouldn't let me." His voice is quiet.

"I...thought it would be better. For you."

"...What if I wanted to?"

"Huh...?" He looks up, fever clouding his eyes.

"What if I want to get to know you?"

"Reyes...I...I can't..."

"Please try. Please." He takes a shaky breath. "Please..."

Jack stares for a minute longer, before he slowly nods. "...Okay. I...I'll try..."

"Thank you, Jack." Gabriel hugs him close. "Thank you..."

-

Jack yawns, stretching his arms before curling them to his chest again.

The man behind him mumbles softly, draping an arm back over him, hand resting against I'm his own.

He smiles. "Mornin', Gabe."

Gabriel mumbles in response, pulling him close.

It's been a month and a half since Jack almost died. It had been touch and go, and he'd had to be resuscitated several times, but he was here. Alive.

They've talked. About favourite colors (how Jack prefers blue, like the ocean, while Gabriel likes orange because of pumpkins), where they grew up (an even split of Bloomington and South Bend for Jack, Sacramento before his family moved to LA for Gabriel), personal guilty pleasures (Jack's love for fairy tales, and Gabriel's love of theatre)...

They feel safe together. They hear people's whispers, of course. The ones saying that they're moving too fast.

Jack shivers. He almost wasn't fast enough. Sure, they've kissed a lot earlier than others might. And one could argue that just over a month of really getting to know someone isn't long enough to form an intimate connection. But Jack's never felt so safe, so secure, in his life.

Gabriel kisses the back of Jack's neck. "You're thinking too loud."

"Sorry." He rolls over, looking up at him with a small smile.

"Your smile's pretty." He slurs, still on the edge of sleep. "You know where it'd look prettier?"

"Gabe..."

"On mine." He grins.

He chuckles. "You're such a sap."

"You love it." He leans forward, resting his forehead against Jack's.

"I do. And I love you."

"Love you too, Jackie."

As Gabriel finally finishes leaning forward and kisses him, Jack's never felt more alive.


	2. Subject 24

Gabriel Reyes joined the military with a dream. He always was the optimistic one of his family, and while his parents and siblings were afraid, he pushed forward. He knew he'd be able to help stop the war. He wasn't stupid, he knew there was a high chance he'd die. But hey, he'd managed to live this long, who's to say he can't keep that streak up?

He gets through Basic with hard work and determination. They're about to send him into the frontlines when he's pulled aside. There's a secret project, they tell him, that only the best of the best are being pulled for. They want him to be part of it.

He's the most excited he's ever been when he accepts. He doesn't know much about this program, but he feels like this is important. A turning point. That this one decision will change everything. He heads off to call his parents, and to pack.

-

Okay, so, this all feels a bit more 'science fiction' than 'scientific', but he's pretty sure he can live with that. Hopefully.

They show his group all around the facility, and he's much larger than he was expecting. Every soldier will be sharing space with another, but the duo will have a private bathroom and living space. The canteen has better food than he's ever seen before. No internet in the base, but they do have TV service, and it even has more than just the news.

They're led into a conference room, and told about the project. How they want to make super soldiers. They think they know what they're doing, after many tests. Someone pipes up and asks if there's a 'super dog' hiding somewhere on base, much to everyone's amusement.

He feels like he belongs here.

-

Dios Mio.

He's never felt so much regret in his life. Everything seemed fine. The first few injections were given out, and while it hurt like a bitch, everyone was okay.

But now...

There were five people alive. Out of twenty five. Four fifths of their first human batch, dead. They were all locked in the med bay, while the doctors scrambled and panicked, trying to save as many as they could.

What went wrong?

None of the scientists seemed to know. But they didn't react the way he had thought they would. He expected cold callousness, a clinical disconnect between the suffering that the soldiers were going through. What he saw was completely different. Doctors screaming in anguish as they lost yet another. Scientists sprinting around the room, collecting samples. He's pretty sure at one point a woman shook him aggressively and slapped him across the face, ordering him not to die.

What have they done? What has he done? No one seemed to know this would be the result.

What did they all get themselves signed up for?

-

He survives, but there's a hole in his heart. Metaphorically, luckily. He has no idea how that would even be able to be handled at this point.

Gabriel. Markus. Abigail. Sean. Chris.

They avoid each other for a while, the pain of losing all the others that they had become friends with too much to handle. But eventually, they group up together. Stick to themselves.

They protest as a group when they hear there's gonna be another batch of fifteen soldiers brought in. The doctors join them, as well as the scientists. They're all told, in no uncertain terms, that if the experiments do not continue, the program will be terminated. The definition of 'terminated' is not left to the imagination.

He's getting tired of politicians and bureaucrats. Maybe the omnics had a good idea, trying to destroy them all. He sure can see their fucking point.

-

Each 'senior member', fuck he hates that title, is assigned three of the new soldiers. He takes care of them, shows them around, but he's careful to not get too close, to stay a bit detached.

It still hurts when the first under his care dies, after the third injection.

The second one dies after the fourth.

The third dies after the fifth. Most of the second batch does.

Two survive.

His group isolates themselves even more.

-

They keep bringing more people into this damn project, in smaller and smaller groups.

He's lost track of how many they have to be at, overall. Must be over fifty. He used to keep track. But he found it hurt too much.

He has a book of names. Personalities. Hobbies, family, likes and dislikes. Pictures are glued into the pages. The people he'd served with, the people he met here at the project. The people who died on his watch. They all get put in the book.

'Status: Deceased'

He wants to remember them, if only so someone will.

-

He can't fucking do this anymore.

They're putting new people with the ones who've survived, again. But this time, there's a catch, because of course there fucking is.

They chose people who they believe will 'match up'. People who have...similar interests, similar passions.

In his case, it means that the guy who's currently looking up at him is one of the most attractive people he's ever seen. He feels pain in his chest. He can't do this. He can't be given such a gift, not here. If the man's here, he'll die. This isn't fair.

The man slowly blinks his dark, faded blue eyes. He looks about as dead as Gabriel feels. "...Jack Morrison."

"...Gabriel Reyes." He turns around quickly, to try to avoid memorizing Morrison's face. "Come on, I'll show you to the room."

-

Morrison's avoiding him.

He's not exactly surprised. He's kind of been being a dick. But he's afraid, he's afraid to get close, because he knows what will happen. He's seen it happen too many times.

When his group spends time together, he sees them so much happier. Markus excitedly talks about his girlfriend, and everyone expresses shock at him moving so fast. Abigail brags about her new roommate, and everyone places bets on how long it will take the two girls to hook up. Chris explains that they gave their new associate an unprovoked fistbump, and everyone smiles and cheers softly for them.

But he can't get himself to make a move. He can't do it. He can't confront Morrison, can't even explain himself. He's too afraid.

What a fucking coward.

-

It's a close call. Ja- ...Morrison's laid up in their room, writhing and whimpering as the chemicals make their way through his system.

Gabriel sits nearby, head in his hands, staring down at the floor. He wants to protect him, but he can't. There's nothing he can do, is there. ...Is there?

Once J- ...Morrison's stable again, he rushes off to the med bay, to find out what their game is this time around. They tell him that they're hoping that maybe this is the one push that people need to be able to survive. Maybe they just need something, someone, to live for.

He feels that's cruel. He doesn't know what's happened to Jac- ...Morrison, before now, but from the look in his eyes, he has nothing left at all. Does that mean there's no chance for him? Do they even know?

He heads back to their room, and keeps watch. He has to figure out what to do.

-

Before he even gets a chance to try to explain himself to Jack- fuck- Morrison, they have a fight. He sees the broken fear in his eyes. And he runs.

His friends try to console him, tell him what he has to do. He knows he needs to say something. If he waits too much longer, it will be too late. But he can't do it. He can't tell Jack the truth, because Jack just flipped out at him and told him not to care.

Jack's got the longest entry in his book, and he's horrified at the thought of having those two cursed words at the bottom.

He finally returns to Jack's side after the shots. He's scared, but he needs to be there for him. He needs to help him. He needs Jack Morrison to live.

-

He's afraid, when Jack tells him to go, but he does. He walks to the canteen, meeting up with his exhausted friends. Chris picks at their food, still not recovered from the loss of their newest friend. Abigail's hair is a mess, as she gestures with her hands, talking about her concerns. Sean just looks down at the table.

Markus almost breaks down the door as he bursts in, running over to their table. Tears are falling down his face, blood on his shirt.

They all know what that means.

They stand, about to attempt to provide comfort, when he tells them everything: what the newer members of the project keep being told, why they're hiding everything that's happening to them, what symptoms mean. That it's almost too late.

"It's not the fifth injection. It's the fourth one. The symptoms take too long to be seen, by the time they take effect, we've already gotten the fifth injections, and our bodies can't handle it."

He doesn't even realize that he's running.

-

He's never felt this terrified before, as he throws open the door and shouts for Jack.

He runs into their room, seeing the empty disheveled bed. He presses his hand to the sheets, crying out when he feels that they're cold. How long has he been gone? Did the collect him already? Is it too late?

He looks down at the floor, scooping up a book and flipping through it quickly. A collection of data, information about the physical effects of the injections. It's Jack's handwriting. Was he writing up until his last? Was he trying that hard to protect others?

He calls out for Jack, moving through their room as fast as he can. He pushes open the door to the bathroom, and he almost cries in relief. Jack's there. He reaches down, checks for a pulse, and tears do start to fall when he feels the weak heartbeat. He talks to Jack as he picks him up, secures him in his arms.

But then Jack stops breathing.

And Gabriel runs.

-

He holds Jack against his chest, even as the man trembles in his unconsciousness. He doesn't want to let go. Jack's already been legally dead three times, he's on a breathing machine because his lungs can't keep up, he hasn't been able to keep anything down for over a week.

He can't lose this man. He can't lose Jack. He's far too important. There's something about him, some part of his mind that remembers how he felt about the decision to join the project in the first place. How important that felt, that decision.

He feels the same way about Jack.

He's going to change the world, and he wants, needs, Jack by his side to do the same.

He'll do whatever it takes.

-

They survive. They thrive, even. The survivors leave the SEP, get sent into the field. They fight against the enemy, seperate groups forming. He hand picks his group, forming his strike force to take the fight even further into enemy territory.

He hears about his friends, of course. Abigail and her girlfriend get discharged due to injuries, which ultimately claim them. Sean goes into a town to rescue hostages, and doesn't come back out. Chris attempts to protect omnic refuges, and is killed for their efforts. Markus sacrifices himself to protect the rest of his squad.

Was it worth it, he wonders late at night, staring up at the stars above. Was it worth it to turn them into these soldiers? They still die. Sure, they lasted longer than some others might, but they can still be killed. Was it worth it?

Jack stumbles into their shelter, the bandages wrapped around his head and arm starting to slowly unravel.

Gabriel sits up. No, he thinks, SEP wasn't worth it. It never could be worth it. But it's what he's been given.

Jack moves over, slumping onto the cot, looking over at him, thinking the same thing.

He cups Jack's face, gently kissing him.

It wasn't worth it. But it's what they've been given.

So they'll work with what they have.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I may visit this again, but for now, consider this piece completed.


End file.
